Michael Sporn Animation – Splog

Woody Allen‘s magnificent new movie, Blue Jasmine, played this week for the NY Academy voters. There’s no doubt that Cate Blanchett will be in among the throes of the contenders for Best Actress, and I can’t imagine anyone doing better. Ms. Blanchett appeared live as did Andrew Dice Clay both to talk about their experiences with the director. There’s no doubt that both are enormously relevant to the mark of contenders. It’s doubtful Woody Allen would be left out of the run for Best Screenplay, though I’d also give him the Best Director award as well. He’s magnificent, Mr. Allen is. There’s enormous talent in doing what he’s done here.

I’ve no reason to give a full fledged review of something so magnificent. Leave it to realize that Allen takes Streetcar Named Desire, turns it upside down and rights it anew. Tennesee Williams’ characters are twisted about, and we get to see past the darkness of their souls. We’ll find the good and the bad in them and see it revealed – all heart. This is a great movie.

I wasn’t that big on last year’s Eyes of Romem but the film this year is magnificent. I loved the movie this year and have renewed my honor for “Woody. It’s glorious, as is he.

Andreas Deja, this week, posted an excellent piece on Disney Owls. The depth and variety of the number of birds Andreas loaded on his site, is exceptional. I heartily suggest you take a look.

Aside from that one, there are several other wonderful posts for you to see placed in full bloom on the site. Though, definitely start with those beautiful owls drawn by some of the animation masters.

A couple of days ago I got a link from friend Willy Hartland. Of course, I have to post his kicksarter link. Willy is an artist and deserves any help I can offer.
This was Willy’s message:

Dear Friends,

I just launched my kickstarter!
click on the link below to watch the video and learn more about the project:

thank you for your time,
Willy Hartland

new york city an animated sketchbook

- My good friend Lawrence White, has put together a number of videos featuring his band, Zombies from Mars, and celebrity impressionist, John Byner, in making a few interesting music videos. Here’s one called “Blog Zombie” recently premiered (July 18th) on John Byner’s site; I’ve embedded it right here to take that extra click work out of your wrist. Hope you enjoy.

- For some time, after Bob Blechman completed his PBS special, A Soldier’s Tale, he tried to develop several ideas as animated features. He worked hard to produce some exquisite animated samples for potential projects.

Candide was one that took the most energy and a fine piece of film was produced to showcase what he and his studio would do with this famous tale. Unfortunately, there were no takers, and this project was shelved along with some other classic ideas.

For this pilot, about ten mins. long, Tissa David and Ed Smith did most of the animation – Tissa took the lion’s share of the piece.

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I have a copy of the pilot and thought it’d be worth posting some of the frame grabs from the piece to give you an idea of it. The entire film uses lengthy scenes and fluidly moving camera – no doubt an addition of Tissa David’s work. As the title card reads, these sequences aren’t presented to tell a story; they’re designed to highlight the animated fare.

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The title acts like a theatrical canvas wherein . . .

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. . . one, “Optimism”, overrides the other, “Candide”.

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Theatrically, all of the characters are introduced in CU cards.

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Part II is introduced with another opened curtain.

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Here the color runs out with well groomed P.T. by Tissa.

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This long pan leads to another sequence end.

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Animation Sketchbook, cover

Chronicle Books recently sent me a beauty of a book to take a look at. Called Animation Sketches, there’s no doubt this book was done to be sold at the current San Diego Comic-con. It’s a virtual feast of art by new, young animation film makers. In the old days, ou’d have a collection of artworks which were made to piece together some scene from Dumbo, Bambi or the like. Nowadas, because the artwork is built on original free-form work, each artist’s sketches are designed to stand on their own, and they do.

Given the length of this blog, I’ve chosen a number of sketches which successfully illustrate some artists’ visions.

Here, then, are artists like Chris Hinton, Paul Driessen, Pierre Luc Granton and others. I’ll have a couple of future posts of other artists from this book. For now, enjoy these.

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Linda Heit

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Thanks, Chronicle Books for the wonderful printing of this current book.

Animation Sketchbook is the title of a book edited by Laura Heit. This volume was no doubt prepared for inclusion in the current San Diego Comic-Con. Every several pages offer us a varying group of artists with some serious pieces they’ve created for this Chronicle Books volume. Chronicle books has been consistently fine, to my mind, in displaying artistic work, particularly animation art, that has stepped in from other lively forms.

I could offer slivers of bits, but have decided, instead, to showcase a number of works to cover a lot of this excellent animation art. The book shows off some 51 artists’ works, and I’m showing several for each artist. This does no present the solidly defined work we might have seen through the forties and fifties, but it does offer serious free-form artwork. Radical though some of he art is, I hope it gives you pleasure with its lively free-form work.

Let’s go directly to the designer/book editor, herself, to see what shen ahd showcase: Laura Heit:

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Isabella Herguera

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Isabella Herguera

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Stephen Hillenberg

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Jonathan Hodgson

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Jonathan Hodgson

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Stephen Hillenberg

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Stephen Hillenberg

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Fran Krause

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Raymunde Krumme

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Don Herzfeldt

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Don Herzfeldt

- I’ve been fascinated with the things that have been scribbled or drawn on the streets and sidewalks. I’ve come across many varied bits and pieces, so I thought it time to post some of them.

(Click any image you’d like to enlarge.)

A lot of messages are left on the ground by a Public Utility worker
for other workers. When Con Ed scopes out a site, they leave
their info discovered right out in the open.

These calligraphic images and remarks leave everything
to the imagination of those who don’t understand.

It’s really just a bunch of gibberish to me, but so are heiroglyphics.

Of course, there’s the old drawing in cement with your finger sign.
Here’s a relatively new one on Bleecker Street that doesn’t really
make much sense either.

This one was used to try to save a garden outside of a
local supermarket when it changed hands. It worked.
The garden is still there – pretty wild, too.

Seeing Leviticus on the sidewalk, and I think I’m supposed
to be somehow thinking in biblical terms – dismiss, dismiss.

It turns out to be just another ad for some local studio.
Cheap advertising.

Nom de Guerre marks the entrance to a store.
In the basement – down those dark stairs.

Here’s another one that’s been turning up around town.
Who knows what it’s for – potatoes?

Give me a good ol’ painted heart, and I think I understand.
This is a painted ad for an off-Broadway play.

Six months ago, a worker fell off a construction site and died.
The site was closed for a short period and ultimately everyone
went back to work.

This is the tribute that sits there now, in the pedestrian walkway.

This isn’t written on the sidewalk, but it’s too great to bypass.
I think my cat may be lost.
Though I’m not sure he has that big a smile.

Here’s an old article from American Cinematographer Magazine. Published in 1958, it continued through four separate issues of the magazine. Written by Carl Fallberg, the article tries to detail the methods of animation production. Animated Film Techniques

This is a very old xerox copy, so I apologize for any quality problems. Here’s the first two parts of the article. The next two will come next Saturday.

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(Click any image to enlarge to a legible size.

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Here’s the completion of a series of articles from American Cinematographer Magazine as published in 1958. It was split in four parts. Written by Carl Fallberg, the article illuminates about the process of animation production.

Animated Film Techniques

This is an old xerox copy, so I apologize for any quality problems. Here’s the last of two parts of the article.

Good News!

I apologize for any problems you’re having with the Splog just now. Verizon is a tough foe who cannot do their job correctly despite the high prices. They promise everything will be in order by Sunday July, 7th. I can only hope and keep trying.

Michael

A couple of days ago I posted some attractive designs that were done in the late thirties/early forties in preparation for the making of the animated feature, Bambi. The drawings were quite beautiful, and they led, without a moment to spare, to Bill Peckmann‘s forwarding some amazing comic strip pages. The Disney studio published an accompanying comic strip for the newspapers.

The book’s cover

As I’ve pointed out in this series, Alice in Wonderland is my favorite children’s book. and Ralph Steadman one of my favorite illustrators. His work is so intelligent; his art so British and sophisticated, these two were the perfect pair. I think Charles Dodgson would have selected Steadman, himself, had his art been discovered back then.

Here then is part 2 of some illustrations taken from Steadman’s book:

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